Falling
by chiharu-tanaka
Summary: two individuals, one split second - and things that changed between them. Malik x Fourier [ONESHOT] [Rated T for language]


**Falling**

_By Chiharu Tanaka_

_Tales of Graces (c) Namco Bandai_

A/n: I literally wrote the whole thing in a pretty notebook I bought during a lecture. It's short, and first-person with mixed tenses, and I'm not too sure about the characterization, especially of Malik's (because I'm not a 40 year old man, duh).

FYI, this is a Malik x Fourier fanfiction. Part of the 'Tales of Crack fanfiction' movement started by pengie. It was initally a 3 part story with 3 different POVs; Malik's, Fourier's then 3rd person.

Enjoy!

* * *

**the man who lets gravity pull him down**

**xxx**

It's because she's young that she needs to let her walls come down. She thinks she's invincible; protected behind her solid barrier. But I have lived long enough to know that she's really breaking down from within.

I know, because I have lived through it.

But who am I to tell her anything? Were we friends? Hardly - our common link was Pascal, and ever since she got married to Hubert, I know that she has, or is eventually going to, leave her sister behind. Not intentionally, of course, but when a person who's your only family goes off to build her own...things change. It's just not the same anymore. Her responsibility of taking care of Pascal now falls on Hubert, and without that, she may have become more lonely than she already is.

How do I know this?

Taking Kurt's place meant that I saw her more often. At first, it was strictly professional - discussing what can be done to help Fendel and its citizens. But the longer I worked with her, the more my impression of her changed. When we first met her, I thought she was a prideful, clever young woman - yet at her outburst, I knew she was still a child. In those few months with her, she was like a ticking time bomb - she could be calm for days and suddenly explode in a fit of rage. She disliked company so much that the mere sight of me arriving at her lab made her scowl.

Then I realized, over time, she was tenaciously determined to unlock the secret behind Forbrannir. At first, I thought she wanted to do it because she wanted to accomplish something that Pascal could not. But it seems that she's understood her problem - it wasn't Pascal that she was competing with, it was herself. She appeared so mature at times that I had to remind myself that she was only a year older than Pascal. When it came to her work, she was dedicated and focused - where she was at her best.

"Why are you following me?" she asked, turning her head back, her pinned-up red and white hair messed up from the blizzard blowing through us, her shotstaff in her right hand.

She looked at me with those piercing, fiery hazel-amber eyes. She was a beautiful woman, but because she had shunned society for so long - keeping herself inside her lab - that I wonder if anyone has ever told her that.

But why was I following her? I suppose it was a sense of responsibility - I considered her a friend, although she would never say the same for me. The Untrodden Snowfield was a dangerous place, and I was sure Pascal wanted her sister back in one piece.

At least, that's what I told myself.

I actually find myself inexplicably drawn to her. There's something about her that's igniting something inside me, deep inside my chest. Like a fire that reminded me all too much of my youth. When she discovered about my past with Lorelia during a friendly drink at the bar, she told me that she would never fall in love. I wonder how much about that is true - and perhaps is the reason behind her locked, and breaking heart. Although Lorelia still lives in my memory, I cannot deny this...feeling any longer. I want to know; I need to. I don't want her to suffer as I did.

Which is why, without a second thought, I am jumping into the freezing river below to save her from a fall.

* * *

**the girl who tries to resist the force**

**xxx**

They say when you're about to die, your life flashes before your eyes.

I suppose that's what's happening to me right now.

I'm submerged in the depths of the freezing water, my eyes open and all I can see are rays of light coming from whatever amount of sun Fendel has to offer. Yet in my state of slowly depleting oxygen, all I can think about is the man probably looking down from the cliffs above.

I'm about to die, and I'm thinking about _him._ Of all the people...

I wonder if he would jump down to rescue me. Who am I kidding, of course he would. Maybe not immediately, but he would...right? After all, he's the old man who had long outgrown his soldier days, but still has that idiotic chivalry in him.

But maybe he won't. Who was I to him, anyway?

My entire body is getting numb. I could swim my way up, but the current is pulling me away with it and my fur cloak is weighing me down.

Ah, what's the use? Pascal's the only one who would miss me...and even if I'm gone, she already has someone to take care of her.

_"It's not like I want to be here."_

Damn. His voice echoes in my mind as recent memories flood my vision. Of course he didn't, who in their right mind would want to be cooped up in a laboratory filled with genetically modified monsters and dangerous experiments?

_"I'm well aware of that, and I already told you that I am in no need of help."_

I'm aware of my ability to mask. I know I told him that, but I wasn't going to tell him that I wanted a companion in that immense building. I wasn't going to tell him that lifting boxes day in day out made my back hurt, and I wasn't going to tell him that I wanted someone to talk to, to discuss with when I get stuck in my train of thoughts.

_"You have no choice in the matter. Chancellor Eigen sent me here to report on your projects."_

_"You mean spy on me, just because I'm not offically a citizen of Fendel and owes his country no allegiance whatsoever."_

I am a cold person, just like this river that is slowly killing me. I dislike change, and I dislike companionship. Simply because humans are ugly creatures - we seek relationships when it's convenient or beneficial for us, and abandon - even back-stab those so-called 'friends' when they are no longer of use.

I could pretend, I decided then. I could just pretend he didn't exist and went on with my work. But he refused to just stand still as he watched me work. He should have just jot down notes or whatever he was doing, get back to Eigen and left me alone at the end of the day.

No, he wanted to see the whole thing through. He wanted to help me with my work. _"It's not like you understand what's going on,"_ I challenged him when he refused to return to Zavhert.

_"Oh really? I'd say you're making progress in controlling the chain reaction. Extracting fire eleth isn't easy, but cooling the extraction chamber itself seems to be giving more power than just steam alone."_

I was surprised - he _does_ know what was going on. I continued asking him, and he continued to surprise me about how much he knows about the project. He admitted later that it took him a few days of background reading to understand the concept, and I felt relieved that I could discuss my work with someone. Although he will never know that.

He finally convinced me to get out of the lab one day - because I get my groceries and necessities delivered from Zavhert - and we were strolling the complex machinery-based city, when a young woman greeted him with a sweet smile.

I was surprised at the number of women who recognize him and bat their eyelashes at him whilst obviously flirting; and it didn't take a genius to figure out what he does at night. Although it didn't surprise me why they chose him - he was a good-looking man with an ideal physique. Nevertheless, it bothers me, since a grown man like him should be sending his daughter to school instead of sleeping with women who are young enough to be his daughter.

We were sitting at the lounge of a downtown bar, enjoying a couple of drinks. I'm able to hold as much liquor as any man could. Because the heating system in the lab is frequently damaged, I take quite the amount of alcohol, and it seems that he was drunk before I was that night.

And when he was drunk, he was a miserable excuse for a man. He started telling me about his lost love Lorelia, how she was everything to him and how he lost her to the fight between the revolution and Fendel. He started telling me about how he had wronged Kurt, and when I couldn't stand anymore of his sentimental crap, I left the bar.

I returned half an hour later to find him asleep at the lounge, and I had to drag him outside. All that heavy lifting did me good - I left him at an inn and returned to the lab. He did not come the next day, and although I would never admit it, it was quiet that day. Too quiet.

Maybe I have been alone for too long that I'm starting to desire company instead of shun it. It was...nice having him around, having meals together, talking about work and even non-work stuff, although mostly about Pascal and her husband.

Damn. My oxygen is finally running out. I open my mouth and my lungs hurt like hell as water begin to fill it. This is it...I'm going to die.

I'm sorry Pascal, for leaving you. I'm sorry Mother, for not keeping my promise. I will join you soon.

I'm sorry, Malik...and don't bother saving me.

* * *

**and in the end they fell into each other**

**xxx**

The river flowing to the bottom of Mt. Zavhert was full of turns, falls and raging waves - especially so in the winter months. But at the foot of the mountain the water was calm, waves bobbing up and down, glistening when highlighted by the rays of the setting sun. The entire area was filled with one-inch thick snow, but it had stopped snowing for the day. The panorama was lovely from the riverbed, looking out into the infinitely spanning ocean some few miles ahead, the silhouette of the majestic mountain at the corners of vision, accompanied by the soothing sounds of running water.

The peace was suddenly disturbed when a gloved hand emerged from the waters to grab hold of a hard but slippery rock at the edge of the riverbed. Out came a man in his early forties, mustering all his strength to pull himself, and the young woman he had gripped securely around his other arm, onto the shore. He was exhausted when he finally put her down on the snowy ground, on his knees and chilled to the bone.

She was lifeless, her body cold from the water and the snow. Malik looked down at her unconscious state, panic taking over his being as he tried to sort out his thoughts. 'Think, Malik,' he forced himself, turning his head left and right as he raked through his dark blond hair. 'It's in your training, goddamnit!'

He parted her lips by pushing her jaw downwards with his thumb before placing his ear next to her mouth to listen for breathing. At the same time he felt her pulse - it was weak, but it was there. In a split second, he decided he had to save her - even if she would kill him the moment she regained consciousness when she knew what he was going to do next. After taking a deep breath, he leaned downwards and sealed her mouth with his lips, breathing out his air to bring her back to life.

Her chest rose with each breath, and after a few attempts, Fourier's body began moving, and she shot up suddenly and began coughing wildly before turning sideways to expel the water from her lungs. It burned her throat and chest as she did so, and she was gasping for air, holding herself steady when she was done.

"Are you okay?" was Malik's first question, and in that moment, everything clicked.

Fourier turned to him with fire in her weary eyes - she did not look grateful at all. "You idiot!" she screamed, although her voice was croaky from the near-drowning experience. "Why the hell did you do that?!"

"What - save you? I had no choice but perform mouth-to-mouth..." Malik began, feeling his own anger bubbling like boiling blood.

"I didn't ask you to save me!" she retaliated, although she was too weak to stand because her legs were numb. She was prepared to die; to leave this cruel, lonely world and go to heaven - wherever that was - and into the arms of her sweet, loving, perfect mother. "You should've just let me die!"

In an instance, a deafening slap echoed throughout the mountainside. She turned to him slowly, her left cheek still red and burning - and it stung as she held her own face. Malik looked at her with dark eyes filled with regret, teeth gritted, seething with fury.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" he yelled at her. "You just...decided in an instance to throw away your life?! I've had enough of your bullshit! Do you know what's your problem? You hate people because you think they don't give a fucking damn about you, but guess what, they do! You think Pascal isn't going to cry at your funeral? You're the only family she has left - god! Do you know how lucky you are that you still have her?!"

Fourier stared at him in horror. She had never seen Malik so angry before - sure, he may be annoyed when she asked him to do chores, or sarcastic when she burns a meal, but never...never this downright pissed off.

"I lost my family, my _entire_ family to Fendel. That's why I joined the fucking revolution. But I fucked up and I lost the only woman I had ever loved because she thought dying for the sake of her country was worth it! She would never - ever - know how much I loved her because I was too much of a coward! Do you want to live with the same regret I did? Do you want to die without ever letting Pascal know how much you really care for her? Do you really want to leave her alone in this world?!"

She felt tears stinging her eyes, threatening to break through the barriers of her ego and fall onto her face. The pain from the slap, and her lungs, and her cold, cold body wounded her...but most of all, his words scathed her, because what he said was true. How could she have even thought of taking her life? Pascal...her little sister Pascal still needed her.

Although deep down, she knew she needed Pascal much more than her little sister needed her.

Fourier returned his glare, equally defiant and refusing to let him have his way. "What do you know about me?! You know nothing of my life - of what I have to go through..."

"I'm 17 years older than you, Fourier, I think I'd know about life's hardships."

She grabbed a fistful of snow, threw it at Malik and it splattered across his chest. "Stop acting like you know everything!"

His anger finally reaching his absolute boiling point - compelling him to reach forward and grab her shoulders, shaking them firmly. "_You_ stop it! I am tired of your childishness! Of course you can say I don't know anything about you - you've never even opened up to let anyone in! If you just throw away that damn _monster_ of an ego you have for a second and just tell me what's going on in that brain of yours, maybe I'd understand you better!"

Fourier was breathing heavily by now, her eyes wavering as she looked at him; his face mere inches away. "Don't," was the only word she said, grasping her chest with one hand. Her vision was already blurring - the cold was making her dizzy and she was gasping for air. Her breathing became quicker, and quicker as she tried to keep herself conscious.

"Fourier?" Malik asked, noticing her sudden change of countenance . She didn't appear vexed anymore - she appeared ill, and gravely so. He shook her by the shoulders again, gently this time, and she didn't respond. Her body became limp as she fell against his chest.

In the moments of her fading consciousness, she could still hear his voice.

"Fourier!"

xxx

The sound of crackling fire was like a light in the infinite darkness of her unconscious mind. 'Where am I?' was her first thought, accompanied by a splitting pain through her skull. She groaned, trying to flex her muscles but found herself restricted, like she was wrapped firmly in bundles of cloth. She found herself unable to break free - there was an almost iron grip around her waist.

When she opened her eyes and inhaled the musky scent coming from behind her - she instantly knew _exactly_ where she was.

"You son of a ..."

The last bit of her yell was muffled by the sound of Malik's cry of pain as the pointed end of her elbow hit him square in the jaw. With that crippling move, Malik let go of her waist and she scurried to move a few feet away from him before turning around.

Only problem was - they were on a bed.

To make matters worse, she realised that she was wearing nothing but her undergarments beneath the sheets she was holding on to.

"You...!" she screamed, one hand covering her chest with the blanket and the other pointing a finger at him, careful to not fall off the edge of the bed; "You're going to be WORSE THAN DEAD when I'm DONE with you!"

She proceeded to wrap the sheets around herself before pouncing on top of the older man. Her blood was already boiling - it only made her even more enraged when she realised that Malik wasn't wearing much of anything either. "You loathsome, disgusting PIG!" she screeched, her fingers coiled tightly around his neck. "The first thing you could think about is to take advantage of me?!"

"Fou...rier..." Malik choked.

"Shut up! Just shut up!"

Thankfully for Malik, he was able to overpower her in her fatigued state. If she could tame a monster the size of a Turtlez Transport with her bare hands, he was glad she was worn out from the near-drowning experience. He pulled her hands off his neck with a forceful tug, and kept them that way as she struggled against him, both of them seated upright.

"Fourier, you've got it all wrong! You were already in hypothermia, maybe frostbitten when I got you here! I had no other choice but to do this to save your life!"

"Hah!" she scoffed. "Do you really take me for a fool? It doesn't take a genius to figure out where your hands have gone when I was out cold!"

The Melon Gel and Panacea Bottle he gave her must have been really effective, because her right hand slipped out of his grip - long enough for her to deliver a slap across his face. She didn't give him a moment longer to respond - she immediately released her other hand and gripped at his neck like a viper.

"Fourier!" he groaned, trying to pry her hands off.

Her teeth was still clenched, the veins at the sides of her head slowly becoming visible as she mustered all her strength to cause him severe pain. But momentarily, a thought struck her - he saved her from actually drowing, and now she was able to strangle him only because he saved her from dying in the cold. Shouldn't she be _not_ strangling him?

The sheets were slipping off her chest, and in the split second that she was muddled in her thoughts and seething at the cold that bit at her bare skin, Malik turned the tables and grabbed her wrists before toppling over her, pinning her to the bed.

"Get off me!" she shrieked.

"No, damn it - you just tried to kill me!"

"Do you really want me to kill you?"

"Spare me your drama," he growled. His weight proved useful after all - there was no way she would win now. "I'm not getting off until you swear you're not going to suffocate me again."

"Fine," she hissed back at him. She was not the least bit intimidated by his height or physique - she was just as strong as any man and that was how she became the top in her field.

"_Swear it_."

"You're such a..." she began, but felt exhaustion come over her again, though not as profound as before. "Fine. I promise I won't strangle you. Happy?"

She felt his weight over her being lifted, and rubbed her sore wrists after she sat upright to glare at him. Malik stared right back at her - at those fiery golden eyes and how they were just as intense as the core of a burning fire. They remained that way - glaring daggers at each other until he was satisfied she was not going to attack. With a sigh, he pulled one end of the long sheet and wrapped himself in it.

Even with a flame burning at the fireplace, the cabin (to her it appeared that way from the inside) was freezing cold, though not quite as much as the outside would be. She noticed that night had already blanketed the skies of Fendel, and she couldn't estimate how much time had lapsed between her nearly drowning and waking up on this unfamiliar bed.

Her anger had cooled somewhat, he noticed, when she hugged herself beneath the sheets, still seated three feet away from him and asked, "How long was I out?" in a neutral, calm tone.

"A couple of hours. I lost track of time."

"Where are we, exactly?"

"I'd say a few miles away from Velanik. I could see their dim lights from this cabin."

"Velanik?" she mumbled. "We've travelled that far from falling into the river?"

"Yeah. It'd take at least a day's hike to get there, and both you and I were in no shape to be climbing a snowy mountain," he said. "I honestly thought you could've died. I guess I have Sophie to thank for her Melon Gel."

"Melon Gel...Sophie grew that plant all by herself, didn't she?" she asked, remembering that as part of Pascal's lengthy letters.

"Yeah, she did," said Malik. Suddenly he chuckled, his chin supported by his right arm. "You know, it's funny because a few minutes ago we were at each other's throats, and now we're talking like civil adults."

Fourier frowned. "Do you want to have another go?"

"No," he answered hurriedly. She was attractive, and he had to admit that her feisty little display, combined with her lack of clothing and tousled hair aroused him somewhat - but he was not going to jeopardise his life over it. "I'm sorry, I guess I should have kept my distance."

She was silent for a moment. "Yes. You damn well should have," she answered haughtily, refusing to look at him.

He let out an uncomfortable cough. "At any rate, I'd say we're pretty lucky to come across this old cabin. At least we're not dead in the snow like a couple of frozen popsicles."

Fourier did not reply, instead she remained seated, staring at the fire. A line hung between one wall and the next, drying out their clothes. At that thought, she had to suppress her urge to just punch the lights out of him. No man had ever violated her personal space as he did - and she had intended to keep it that way.

"Are you hungry?" he asked after the room fell silent for minutes that felt like forever.

"No, not really," she said. She told him the truth - after what had happened to her today, she did not feel like eating anything. "I'm still angry at you, by the way."

"Hmm, I expected as much," he replied. "Though I suppose I'm the one that should be angry, since I saved your life twice and have yet to hear a word of thanks."

She turned to him for once, her brilliant eyes without the anger - only a glimmer of guilt - and he continued before she could speak up. "But frankly, I don't mind. You're a peculiar woman, Fourier, and you don't have to thank me if you don't want to."

It wasn't that she didn't want to thank him - a part of her mused - it was her heart that _won't_ let her thank him. "Why don't you look in the mirror - you're an oddball yourself," she murmured, scrutinizing the red tips of her peculiar Amarcian hair with her fingertips. "I can't understand why'd you be at your age and yet still unmarried."

"Why, are you interested in marrying me?"

"You wish," she snapped. "I suppose your lost love must be _that_ difficult to forget."

"I probably never will, actually," he said, avoiding eye contact with her as they both stared at the fire.

"You sound like you regretted it."

"I never regretted loving her. I'm only upset at myself for not telling her how I felt...about her. I keep thinking, 'If only I can turn back time...'"

"Would it make that much of a difference?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know anymore, because I've thought about it so much," he said, before chuckling again. "Look at us. Who would've thought we'd be talking about issues such as these on the same bed."

Fourier groaned, rolling her eyes. "Stop reminding me of my horrible predicament," she warned him, grabbing a shabby old pillow and tossing it at him. "You're so sentimental it makes me want to throw up."

"And you're such a drama queen it makes me equally nauseous."

She glared at him. "I hate you, Malik Caesar."

"I'm not going to stop you," he said with a cheeky grin, and it made her even more agitated. Why was it that he was so damn irritable yet so...natural to be around with? She barely spoke other than what was absolutely necessary when she met people - even to Pascal she would only ask the basic 'How was your trip?' before her younger sister would launch into a lengthy explanation and all she had to do was listen.

But who was there to listen to her?

"But seriously though, we've got at least eight hours before sunrise, so if you do want something to eat, let me know. It's going to be a rough hike, and I can catch a fish or two at the river not too far from here with help from the lamp I found lying around."

She blinked once, her eyes still fixated on him. "Why?" the words flew out of her mouth before she could even stop them. "Why are you being so...nice to me? Is there something I have that you want? Is that it?"

Malik's eyes widened slightly. 'What in the world could've happened to her to make her so cautious and defensive around people?' he thought. "Of course not," he assured her. "I don't know what kind of person you think I am, but I'm just being courteous. We are at least acquaintances, aren't we?"

Her body leaned backwards slightly, as if wary of his words. "I suppose," was her flat reply.

He crossed his arms. "I promise I'm not going to touch you without your consent again, so can't we at least be friends?

Friends. When was the last time Fourier was able to consider someone a friend? It had been too long. Far too long. "Friends, huh?" she murmured, her voice dry and monotonous. "I...I'd rather you keep your distance from me."

"Why?" he asked, almost exclaiming it in surprise, his eyebrows furrowed in utter bewilderment. "Are you...afraid I'll hurt you?"

She bit her lower lip. That was _exactly_ what she was afraid of. Being with him was a constant reminder of a part of herself she wanted to forget. "Look, forget I said anything..."

"Fourier, please tell me. I'm willing to listen..."

"Stop being so self-righteous when we both know you aren't!" she countered, her eyes widened. "You suddenly walk into my life, acting like you know everything just because you're older - and suddenly you're obliged to give me guidance on what I'm supposed to do? Are you like this because of your regrets? Are you like this because you don't want me to end up like you?"

Malik's face hardened. He was serious now, his hands clenched into fists. "I don't want _anyone_ to end up like me. I didn't have anyone to listen to me when I was younger. I betrayed my one and only friend - I figured I didn't deserve to have another. I am like you, Fourier. Too much like you. Which is why it pains me to see you like this."

"Why do you even care?!" she shrieked, her palms slamming onto the soft surface of the bed. "Who am I to you? I'm not even your colleague! I don't want your pity. I just want to be left alone."

To her surprise, Malik tossed the sheets aside, stood up and walked over to the clothes line to get dressed. "Okay, if that's what you want," he said, putting his clothes on.

She did not respond, turning away from him as she heard the rustling of cloth. She buried her head in her knees as she heard the door open, accompanied by the blast of cold air from the outside, before it closed shut behind him. As soon as he disappeared, she felt the tears come - overflowing from the barriers of her eyes. Quietly, she sobbed alone as she hugged herself tighter - not knowing why she continue pushing people away when all she wanted was for somebody to care.

When she heard the door open, it was nearly an hour later, and her eyes were puffy and red from crying. Malik stood at the doorway holding the tail of a few river fishes in one hand and a lamp in the other. He set them down on the bed along with a couple of sticks, before taking off his coat and scarf.

"Done crying?" he asked. There was no sarcasm or pity in his voice - just an honest question.

She glared at him, wanting to just kick him in the balls for leaving her there and not telling her where he went off to. "Shut up," she said, as hostile as ever.

"Hey, you said you wanted some time alone, and that's what I gave you."

He proceeded to skewer the fish he caught before setting them by the fire. Fourier watched him as he did this, and sniffled as she wrapped herself properly before getting off the bed. She sat down next to him by the fire, where it was nicer and warmer than it was on the bed.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked.

"Know what?"

"About me."

Malik turned to face her. She was letting her walls come down, and probably just this one time. "If you're willing to tell me, I'm all ears."

His reply was like a password - a key that unlocked everything that she had bottled up for the past years of her life. The words flowed through her mouth so easily, and she wondered why she was taking down her barriers for him and him alone.

"My mother died when I was ten. Pascal was nine then, and we were devastated at her loss. I had to assume my mother's role, because Pascal was still studying and my mother always knew Pascal was a bright child. I won't deny it - she is brilliant - but she needed a lot of care because of her eccentric behaviour."

"I'm not even going to elaborate on my father - that bastard left us when Pascal was still in her diapers. I was determined to grow up on my own...because I knew we couldn't depend on him. Luckily for us, we were distantly related to the Overseer, so she took us under her wing."

Malik did not interrupt her as she continued talking. "As you probably know...I've always felt inferior compared to Pascal, even though she admires me for everything I do. I had to give double, maybe triple the effort to achieve the same things she does. I think that sibling rivalry was what eventually made our relationship somewhat estranged. She left the Enclave at nineteen, probably to travel the world, and I went to Fendel to make a name for myself. But I never knew that in that three years, she had missed me dearly. I...I actually missed her company as well, because we used to be very close as children."

"When I began making a name for myself in Fendel in the field of biology, I made some friends - and I made enemies as well. Maybe because I'm Amarcian, they think all my genius is genetic and that I got to the top effortlessly. They were wrong - I worked even harder than they did - but because they couldn't stand to see me succeed, they spread rumours about me. Horrible, ugly rumours - like nothing I've ever seen or heard in the Enclave. The number of friends I had dwindled...and eventually I was alone in that laboratory."

"To make matters worse...I was young and in love at the time, with a scientist who was not Amarcian," she confessed, turning to look at the fire. "He was...everything to me, and he motivated me to continue working towards success and to ignore those jealous bastards. But in the end...he got married to a shop owner in Zavhert. I never told him how I felt about him - because inter-racial marriage between Amarcians and non-Amarcians were unheard of in our Enclave and usually results in exile. Only after Fermat was brave enough to challenge the Overseer did rules change."

"That's why I can't stand you, Malik," she said finally. "You talk about your lost love like you're the only one who suffers from such a fate. You talk about betrayal as if it had only ever happened to you. You talk about losing your family like I haven't lost mine. Sure, the circumstances were different...but in the end, our lives are so similar that I'm reminded of the things I hate about my life when I look at you."

"Fourier..."

"Don't say anything," she told him. "I've been listening to Pascal and her wild ideas or crazy adventures or even her current escapade of a romance between her and Hubert. It's time I...expressed what I needed to say."

Malik smiled, a warm grin that spread across his handsome features. "Thank you," he said. "For sharing that with me."

She frowned, even though a heavy weight in her heart had already been lifted. "You don't need to thank me."

"Whatever you say, Fourier," he replied, picking up a skewered fish and inspecting it closely. "Dinner's ready," he said, handing her the stick.

In that moment, Malik swore he saw a split-second smile grace her usually cold demeanour. "What?" she asked after taking a bite from the fish.

"It's nothing," he said, keeping a grin to himself. He knew that he was falling - falling in love with this crazy woman to be exact - but he realised that he didn't mind, and he didn't care about the repercussions. Sure, she was brilliant as well as nearly insane, but she was beautiful and feisty - a woman unlike any other.

After finishing her dinner, Fourier sauntered over to the bed to lie on it. "Don't even think you're sleeping on this bed tonight," she warned, before turning her back towards him. "Wake me up in the morning."

He almost laughed. "Good night to you too."

Her face hidden from his view, Fourier allowed herself a smile of relief - a very small upward curve of her lips. Perhaps he wasn't so bad of a man after all - even though the male species had generally been horrible towards her. Perhaps she could be friends with him, and she would be able to share her problems with him - like normal friends do, right?

Little did she know she was already falling for him - so fast she didn't notice she was already drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

* * *

**end**


End file.
